Now that's more like it: AT&T opens with victory

For the first time since last October – and you can argue against the product last October – what Giants fans saw last night finally resembled real baseball. It was pleasing to the eye as the Giants posted a 3-1 win in the opener of the annual preseason Bay Bridge Series against Oakland.

I hear a tuba. (Bay Area News Group Photo)

The combination of free-agent hurler Jeff Samardzija and pitcher-friendly AT&T Park was supposed to be a winner. Samardzija looked like anything but that for much of the spring in Scottsdale (1-3, 7.20 ERA), but his first g outing at The Big Phone gave hope that those expectations are not unfounded.

Samardzija gave the 41,000-plus assembled a case of the yips, surrendering a game-opening triple to Billy Burns. The Shark then laughed while letting Burns wither and die at third. He sat down the next 15 hitters in succession, an even greater feat given that the A’s (with permission) used a DH despite the NL setting. He fanned five without a walk and finished his five innings allowing just the lone safety. Of his 74 pitches, 50 were for strikes.

It was a brilliant performance. He had everything going for him except John Williams’ score from “Jaws”. And it was against the A's. Did we mention how much we detest the A's? It was also the second straight solid outing (five scoreless in his last spring toss) from a man who struggled mightily out of the gate, but his performance would seem to indicate he’s ready to go just as the flag is about to drop.

Samardzija left with a 2-0 lead as Manager Bruce Bochy continued to tinker with the order. The line-up is deep, the Giants should have no problem scoring runs, but who ends up hitting where seems yet to be determined. With all the options at hand, Bochy may not settle into a regular groove right away – or ever.

Matt Duffy, who hit second or third throughout the spring, was dropped to the sixth spot as a buffer between the Brandons. Bochy also seems determined about this pitcher-batting-eighth thing; something you’d be more likely expect to see from a slow-pitch softball team.  Angel Pagan hit ninth, behind Samardzija, and while it defies baseball tradition the truth of the matter is that it makes a great deal of sense for this team.

It’s not just that the Giants have some pitchers who can flat out hit. Putting Pagan in the nine hole essentially gives the offense two shots (Pagan and lead-off man Denard Span) at setting the table for the meat of the order. Think about it, the lead-off hitter is guaranteed to, well, lead off, once a game. The other opportunities seem to come only when a weak-hitting pitcher kills an inning. Better to have multiple spark plugs to fire a pretty good engine.

So slow-pitch it is. We’re still hoping for the keg behind second base.

The line-up also had Buster Posey hitting third, assuring he’ll get a first-inning at-bat and, just maybe, one extra swing for the game. That’s possible only because the guys behind him, Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt, are equally dangerous.

Thursday’s line-up also does a pretty good job of breaking up lefties versus righties, something that could spawn matchup nightmares for opposing managers should the Giants stick with it.

Sergio Romo celebrates a save. We like celebrations! (Yahoo News Photo)

That line-up pounded out 10 hits, including doubles from Pence and Duffy. Posey finished the night with three hits and Duffy with two. Even better, Posey, Brandon Crawford and Ehire Adriana all delivered two-out RBIs.  Bad news: they were 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Hey, we had to find something.

Samardzija was backed up by six pitchers covering the final four frames, with Josh Osich giving up the only two hits allowed, along with the lone run. Stephen Vogt tripled in Billy Butler. The triple is important, triples are the about the only way the velocity-challenged Butler scores unless the ball leaves the park. Sergio Romo collected the save.

It’s been a hard spring. A record of 12-19-1 will do that to you. But as the starter’s gun is raised we have to admit, right now they look pretty darned good.